Chelsea Hospital is Moving Forward on its Inpatient Rehabilitation Renovation

The proposal to renovate a portion of Chelsea Hospital went before the city of Chelsea Planning Commission on February 21, seeking a site plan approval for the Inpatient Rehabilitation Renovation project.

It was granted approval based on that the plan would address some conditions noted in the city engineering report.

City of Chelsea planning consultant, Carlisle Wortman and Associates, said in its report that the “applicant is requesting site plan approval for renovations to the existing inpatient rehabilitation center at Trinity Health Hospital. The subject area is located in the northwest area of the 98.45-acre parcel at 775 S Main Street, also known as parcel number 06-06-12-475-054. The project proposes renovations to two (2) adjacent buildings, including interior reconfigurations and the construction of a new connector structure to offer interior access to the two buildings, effectively combining them. The proposed site plan appears to comply with the requirements of the zoning ordinance and the intentions of the Master Plan for this Zoning District.”

Last fall, Chelsea Hospital announced the approval of a $10 million capital investment to expand the hospital’s adult inpatient rehabilitation unit.

“Under the plan, Chelsea Hospital’s joint venture partner, University of Michigan Health, will consolidate its adult acute rehabilitation service into one location inside Chelsea Hospital, staffed by U-M Health providers,” the Chelsea Hospital announcement said last fall. “The new rehab unit, which will become a destination for inpatient rehabilitation across the region, is expected to open in the summer of 2024.”

The announcement said “inpatient rehabilitation program will continue to treat a patient population similar to those currently treated inside Chelsea Hospital, including those with diagnoses of stroke, brain injury, neurological disease or illness and issues involving orthopedics or trauma. The spinal cord injury and cancer programs will also be moved from U-M Health to Chelsea Hospital. This decision concentrates the inpatient team and resources into a single center, which enhances the hospital’s ability to provide a world-class experience to every patient.”